Galadriel
"I pass the test! I will diminish, and go into the West. And remain Galadriel" - Galadriel Lady Galadriel is the Elven Queen of Lothlorien. She is one of the oldest Elves in Middle-Earth and one of the most important figures in Elven history. About Lady Galadriel was the co-ruler of the Elven Kingdom, Lothlorien, along with her husband Celeborn. She was one of the first Elves to ever come to Middle-Earth when the Elves came out of the West. She was originally born in Valinor during the height of its bliss when the Two Trees were still alive. As such, she was the highest ranking and one of the most powerful elves of the Third Age. She was the keeper of Nenya, one of the three Elven rings. She possessed the Mirror of Galadriel, which could reveal potentially future events to its viewer, as well as the Phial of Galadriel, which held the light of Earendil's star. History "The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it." - Galadriel recalls the history of the rings During the Second Age, Galadriel was given a ring of power like Elrond and Cirdan. Her ring was Nenya, the ring of adamant, but also known as the ring of water. Yet she could not use her ring when the Elves discovered that Sauron had forged a ruling ring to govern the lesser rings. Therefore Galadriel removed her ring and kept it hidden. She kept a watchful eye over Sauron, much like the other Eldar while he was gaining power. After Sauron was defeated, she did not believe that evil would be gone forever as the ring had not been destroyed. She was aware of the creature Gollum and his possession of the ring, as well as losing it to the Hobbit Bilbo. She foresaw that Hobbits would play a very important part in the history of Middle-Earth. Galadriel was married to Lord Celeborn, a High Elf Lord of the Sindarin Elves. Sorceress of the Golden Wood "An Elf Witch... of terrible power!" - Gimli muses on Galadriel She lived in Lothlorien for a great many years and maintained a strong alliance with King Thranduil in the northern regions. In Sauron's absence, Galadriel was free to use her ring of power Nenya. With that ring she put her power over Lorien, making it a fair place of undying bliss. Its power was such that no evil could enter in and the Elves were at peace within their fair realm. The Elves renamed it Lothlorien and revered Galadriel as their leader and Queen, though she only took up the title of Lady and merely saw herself as a guardian of the forest. But rumour of her power was spread throughout the lands, as Gimli the Dwarf had evidently heard of her and initially feared her. At some point she formed the White Council with the wizards and Elrond. While it is never mentioned in the films, Galadriel had a daughter with Celeborn named Celebrian. Her daughter was married to Elrond, and through their union Arwen was born, making Galadriel the grandmother of Arwen. However, Celebrian was captured by Orcs while travelling. The torment she suffered left her sickened and weary of the mortal world. Therefore Celebrian took a ship into the west where she could find true healing in Valinor. The White Council "Something moves in the shadows unseen" - Galadriel to Gandalf Suspecting something amiss, Saruman the White summons her to Rivendell where the White Council hold a meeting. Saruman is willfully dismissive of Gandalf's claims, but Galadriel commands him to hear Gandalf out. Gandalf shows them the Morgul Blade that Radagast found in the ruined fortress of Dol Guldur. Saruman dismisses the idea that Sauron has returned but Gandalf, Elrond and Galadriel believe that there is danger. She openly backs Gandalf's plan to aid Thorin, yet she is wary about the events that are unfolding in Mirkwood. Galadriel in particular can sense the dark presence, as Dol Guldur and Mirkwood sits nigh to Lothlorien. She is curious about Gandalf's plan involving Bilbo, but the Wizard confesses that he is troubled by what lies ahead. She comforts him and promises to aid him if he needs her. Discovery in the High Fells "Go to the tombs in the Mountains" - Galadriel to Gandalf Before the company of Thorin enters Mirkwood, Gandalf hears Galadriel speak to him, telling him to go to the high fells. Gandalf and Radagast investigate the old tombs to discover that they are empty. Realising the Ringwraiths have been summoned to Dol Guldur by Sauron. Gandalf sends the Brown wizard to tell Galadriel and Elrond while he enters Dol Guldur. After Gandalf is captured by Sauron, Galadriel immediately summons the council and hastens to Dol Guldur. Duel with the Dark Lord "Go back to the Void from whence you came!" - ''Galadriel banishes Sauron After Gandalf's capture, an Orc Chieftan, Lombar, has his orders to kill the wizard and harvest his ring. However, the recently arrived Galadriel demands him to stand down and yield up the wizard. The Orc merely screeches and Galadriel unleashes a blinding light that blasts the orc into pieces. Galadriel physically bears Gandalf away, but Sauron is watching them and calls out to her. He then sets the Nazgul loose upon them. The spectres form a ring around Galadriel and Gandalf, barring the way out. However, Elrond and Saruman come to their aid and battle the spectres of darkness. The Elf Queen takes the moment to heal Gandalf, expending much of her own energy. After this, she forcibly commands Radagast to escort Gandalf to safety. At last the three are confronted by Sauron, who reveals himself to them (even though they were already pretty sure who it was). He summons the Nazgul once more and sends them to destroy the council. Summoning her last ounce of strength, Galadriel enters her own spectral from (revealed in wrath) and wields the star glass of Earendil against the spectres. The Nazgul dissolve immediately and Galadriel and Sauron face off in a powerful battle. After a long struggle, Galadriel overwhelm's Sauron's mind and his spirit is forced to flee. Sauron and the Nazgul retreat to Mordor, while Galadriel is left shell shocked from the encounter. Elrond is instructed by Saruman to take the Lady back to Lorien to recover. Hosting the Fellowship ''"The quest stands on the edge of a knife" - ''Galadriel to the Fellowship 60 years later, the Quest for the Ring has begun. During this time, the Fellowship of the ring passes through Lothlorien. They are brought before Galadriel and her husband Celeborn. There she learns of Gandalf's demise, musing that all of his deeds were of great importance to the world, yet even she could not comprehend his full purpose. She bids the Fellowship to rest, but in private she passively commands Frodo to follow her to the glade. The Mirror of Galadriel "''In place of a Dark Lord you would have a QUEEN! Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the dawn! Treacherous as the sea! Stronger than the foundations of the earth! All shall love me and despair!" ''- Galadriel is tempted by the ring There she asks Frodo if he will peer into the mirror as a test of character. Frodo complies and sees many terrible things, including what may well be the destruction of his home should the quest fail. Galadriel warns Frodo that the Fellowship is already doomed from within, as one of them will "... try to take the Ring". Overwhelmed by the task ahead, Frodo willingly offers the ring to her. Galadriel finds herself tested in turn, as she has spent years pondering what she might do with the One Ring. The Elf Queen is intrigued now that it lies within her grasp. Under the ring's influence, she enters a powerful yet terrifying spectral form, declaring that the ring will give her immense power over the earth. But she relents and declines the ring in the end, acknowledging that she cannot wield it and become a Dark Queen in turn. Frodo fears that he cannot do this alone, but Galadriel admits that she has faced perils alone as a ring bearer, whereupon she reveals her own ring, Nenya, to Frodo. She also comforts him with the knowledge that even a small Hobbit can change the future. Galadriel and Celeborn give the company many gifts before they continue on their quest. Some of these include the golden bow for Legolas, Noldorin daggers for Pippin and Merry, Hithlain rope for Sam, strands of her hair to Gimli and finally the Phial of Earendil to Frodo. She bids Frodo a fond farewell and later consults with Aragorn. The Elf Queen reminds him that the time has come for him to take up the Kingship of Men. After this she bids him farewell, lamenting that they shall not meet again. Aiding Middle-Earth ''"The power of the enemy is growing" - Galadriel to Elrond Likely aided by foresight, the Elf Queen knows that Gandalf has survived. She summons Gwaihir the Windlord and instructs the Eagle to find the Wizard. Gandalf has indeed returned, and Gwaihir brings him back to Lorien. There Galadriel restores his strength and gifts him with white robes and a new staff. Elrond counsels with her to decide whether the Elves will help the men of Middle Earth. The Elf Queen foresees that Sauron's rule will be endless if he is victorious. She resorts to aid Middle-Earth at all costs and together she and Elrond send Haldir with 300 Galadhrim Elves to aid the Rohhirim. She is likely watching over Frodo as he continues his quest. When Frodo is spent after barely escaping the Spider Shelob, he loses hope and passes out. Galadriel comes to him in a vision of Lothlorien from afar. There she reminds him that only he can accomplish this task as it was fated to him. She offers him a helping hand. Encouraged, Frodo takes her hand, whereupon Galadriel lifts him up and reinvigorates his strength again. As Galadriel predicted, Frodo succeeded in destroying the One Ring, leading to Sauron's demise. However, the destruction of the One Ring meant that the other rings lost their powers. Nenya's power faded and Galadriel felt the weight of time upon her again. Having loved Middle-Earth but grown weary in the end, Galadriel prepared to sail home to Valinor where she could live in eternal bliss again. Into the West "The power of the three rings is ended. The time has come for the dominion of the Men" - ''Galadriel's farewell Galadriel is last seen at the Grey Havens. She declares the age of the Elves and the power of the rings is ended, paving way for the dominion of men. She leaves Middle Earth with Celeborn, Elrond, Cirdan, Gandalf and the Hobbits. They make their return journey to the Undying Lands in the West, there to live in peace for eternity. Appearances The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug (Briefly speaks to Gandalf) The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (Briefly in a vision to Elrond) The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King Personality Enigmatic and softly spoken, Galadriel is very serene. She too possesses great wisdom, making calculated, pragmatic choices. Her pureness of heart and good will gains her respect from Gandalf, Elrond, Frodo, Aragorn and especially Gimli the Dwarf, who put aside his prejudice of Elves out reverence for Galadriel. She is able to inspire others when all hope seems lost. Like Gandalf, she sees value in all good things, noting that even hobbits can change the future. Nevertheless Galadriel can often brood, as she has foreseen a terrible future in Middle-Earth, resenting Sauron for it. She clearly despises evil; when confronted by a single orc, Galadriel blasted him into oblivion while visibly smirking, indicating a more ruthless side to her. She also resents the fading of the Elves, even though she has accepted it. Galadriel was not above the temptation of power, which is hinted at in the films. The fact that she used such a devastating spell to destroy a single orc may come across as an overkill, but it actually hints at Galadriel's love of power. Her desire to overthrow Sauron and restore the might of the Elves ultimately lead to her pondering whether she could use the One Ring to achieve those ends. When Frodo presented it to her, she admitted that she had longed to wield it. But nonetheless the Elf Queen had great strength of character, as she overcame her temptation and refused the ring, acknowledging that she would fade and return to the West. Items * '''Nenya' - Galadriel's ring of power, which she uses to set an enchantment upon Lothlorien * Phial - a crystal glass with water that reflects the light of Earendil's Star * Crown - Galadriel wears a number of silver/gold crowns. Though she claims the title of Lady only, she is in fact a Noldorin Princess * Mirror - a mystical bowl of water that shows the past, present and future Powers and abilities "If you try to stop me, I will destroy you" - Galadriel threatens an Orc Galadriel is the most powerful Elf in Middle-Earth. She holds the distinction of being the only Elf who fights using magic rather than weapons. She also possesses a spiritual form. At one point she was even more powerful than Sauron, being the only one to drive him out of Dol Guldur. * Destructive light - a colossal blast of light that can obliterate solid matter. Galadriel uses this power to destroy a large Orc. * Healing - Galadriel is a skilled healer, able to revive Gandalf in mere seconds. Likely aided by Nenya. * Foresight - Galadriel has immense foresight, predicting Boromir's treachery as well as Gandalf's return. * Telepathy - Galadriel can communicate in the mind from afar, sending messages to Gandalf, Elrond and even Frodo while he was in Mordor. * Spectral Form - known as an Elf revealed in wrath, Galadriel can enter this form to overwhelm other spirits, such as Sauron and the Nazgul. * Physical strength - Galadriel lifts an unconscious Gandalf off the ground without much of a struggle. * Aura of Hope - Galadriel inspires others with hope, much like Gandalf. Gimli is enlightened by her and openly respects her. Frodo finds strength again when she sends him a vision from afar. * Aura of Fear - the Elven Queen can actually scare foes and allies alike. The most plain example is when she forcefully commanded Radagast to take Gandalf away, glowing with a white light. Boromir faltered under her gaze, and Frodo was scared by her when she revealed her spectral form. * Magical creation - a notable trait of Noldorin Elves is their skill in creation and forging. Galadriel has created two notable items that hold supernatural powers; the Phial of Earendil and the Mirror. The Phial holds water that is somehow able to reflect the light of a star. The Mirror is even more mysterious, as the enchanted water can show visions of the past, present and future. * Boundary enchantment - a power conferred by the ring Nenya, making Lothlorien a fair place of bliss and fencing out all evil. The boundary spell controls natural elements and wards off the effects of time. Costumes * Rivendell - The Costume that she wears while visiting Rivendell. It is a heavy silver drape that covers her white robes and dress underneath. * Dol Guldur - The Dress/Robes that she wears while rescuing Gandalf from Dol Guldur. The outer drape is silvery and emboidered. * Lorien - The robes she wears while in her home of Lothlorien. The sleeves are long and petal shaped. * Revealed in wrath - glows with an otherworldly blue light. Her robes blow wildly in rags, one version of this outfit includes an Elven breastplate. Forms * Physical - Her normal Elf Appearance * Spectral form - a drowned, goddess like form in which she wields spiritual power External Links Lotr Wiki - http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Galadriel Tolkien Gateway - http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Galadriel Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galadriel Category:White Council Category:Lothlorien Elves Category:Dol Guldur Subplot Involvement Category:Elves Category:Eldar Category:The Lord Of The Rings Characters Category:The Hobbit Characters Category:Ring Bearers Category:Noldor